Niall McGinn admits the chance of lifting the Scottish Cup this season was one of the big draws that took him back to Aberdeen.

The Northern Ireland star hopes to rekindle his love affair with the Dons after four months with South Korea side Gwangju.

And this week he’ll knuckle down to some warm-weather training in Dubai as the Dons, already on three more Premiership points than this time last season, aim to turn up the heat for the remainder of the campaign.

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Like boss Derek McInnes, the Reds have their eye on going one better by grabbing the Cup, starting with a fourth-round win over Championship high-flyers St Mirren at Pittodrie on January 20.

McGinn’s creativity has been missed by Aberdeen since he left at the end of his contract last summer to sign a lucrative deal with troubled Gwangju, who were relegated at the end of last season with the midfielder’s contract cancelled by mutual consent.

McInnes also missed the pace of winger Jonny Hayes – sold to Celtic for £1.3million – as he brought in Gary Mackay-Steven from the Hoops, Greg Tansey from Inverness and Greg Stewart on loan from Birmingham City.

But with Kenny McLean set to leave at the end of the season, McInnes knew he needed a flair player and jumped at the chance of bringing McGinn back into the Pittodrie fold on a three-and-a-half year deal.

Kenny McLean will leave in the summer (Image: SNS Group)

Now the former Celtic and Brentford playmaker is keen to use the Dubai training camp to get his fitness levels back with an eye on adding a Scottish Cup winners’ medal to the League Cup prize he won under McInnes in 2014.

Brendan Rodgers’s Hoops beat the Dons 2-1 in a thrilling final last May after Tom Rogic hit a stoppage-time goal to take the trophy back to Parkhead.

And McGinn said: “It would be massive to finally lift the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen.

“We’ve already won the League Cup so that is the one we really want. We have been very close to that in the past and felt we had one hand on the trophy last season but it wasn’t to be.

“It is a competition that is very difficult to win as every round is tough and St Mirren will certainly be no different in that respect.

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“But we know on our day we are capable of beating anyone and I am really looking forward to the tie when it comes around.

“Hopefully I can hit the ground running in that. Being realistic I can do all the training I want but it will take a few games to get right up to speed.”

Hearts and Hibs showed an interest in McGinn when news broke he was available after the disappointment of Gwangju.

But McInnes was always the frontrunner to sign him, hoping his nous and experience might bring a fresh dimension to his new-look side.

The torture of being so near but missing out last time still burns inside McGinn and he wants the chance to prove the Dons are good enough to go one better this time, no matter the opposition.

He said: “It was a massive incentive for me to come back here as there’s a feeling of unfinished business in the competition after last season’s final.

Jonny Hayes opened the scoring in the Scottish Cup Final (Image: PA)

“It was extremely disappointing especially after us getting the goal from Jonny to go ahead against Celtic at Hampden that day.

“To concede so soon afterwards through Stuart Armstrong was a blow then it was really tough to take losing the way we did right at the end.

“That can only give you a sense of anger and frustration and you have got to use those feelings by getting to another final.

“It has given us plenty of motivation to give it another good crack this time round and hopefully we can get to Hampden again and win this time. I’ve experienced what it’s like to win a trophy with Aberdeen and the aim is to do that again in the Scottish Cup now.

“The League Cup win against Caley Thistle was the highlight of my career so far but to win the Scottish Cup on my return to Aberdeen would top that.”

Aberdeen lift the League Cup in 2014 (Image: SNS Group)

The 30-year-old’s immediate priority is to regain his spark after being out of the game a couple of months.

The Reds will jet out to Dubai tomorrow and spend seven days at state of the art sports complex the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence.

As part of their preparation for the visit of Jack Ross’s Buddies, they will face Uzbekistan league champions Lokomotiv Tashkent on Sunday, January 14.

McGinn added: “It will take time to get that sharpness back but this is where the winter break helps me massively.

“I was getting cracking in terms of training because when the other players were enjoying their time off I was working hard.

“Going to Dubai with the squad will help and I remember last year when I hadn’t had much time off because of international duty, the manager gave me a couple of weeks break.

“I came back hitting the ground running and scored a couple of goals in the Scottish Cup tie against Stranraer with Adam Rooney also hitting two. So hopefully something similar will happen this time.”